Two additional men have been charged in connection with a June 23 undercover prostitution sting in Eden Prairie, bringing the total number of defendants to 12.
Todd Michael Trettel, 41, of Orono, is charged by summons in Hennepin County District Court with a felony count of agreeing to hire someone he believed was a 17-year-old girl for sex. His first court appearance is scheduled for July 23 in Minneapolis.
Trettel was not named in the initial story because, at the time of publication, the Hennepin County Attorney’s Office said his case was still under review.
Theophilus Narh Addotte-Wayo, 36, of Shakopee, is charged with a gross misdemeanor for allegedly attempting to hire an adult for prostitution. His case, referred for lower-level charges, is being prosecuted by the Eden Prairie City Attorney’s Office.
Addotte-Wayo is scheduled to appear Aug. 6 at the Ridgedale courthouse after being charged by summons.
The sting was led by Eden Prairie police with assistance from the 494 Corridor Group, a multi-agency task force that includes officers from Bloomington, Edina, Maple Grove, Minnetonka, Plymouth, Richfield, and the Hennepin County Sheriff’s Office. Investigators posted decoy ads online and directed those who responded to a predetermined location in Eden Prairie, where arrests were made.
The operation targeted individuals attempting to pay for sex with minors. No actual minors were involved.
As previously reported, 10 men were charged last week with felony prostitution-related offenses. Nine were booked into the Hennepin County Jail. With these new charges, all 12 people arrested in the sting have now been charged.
The felony charge – prostitution involving a person reasonably believed to be 16 or 17 – carries a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison and a $20,000 fine. The gross misdemeanor charge carries a maximum penalty of one year in jail and a $3,000 fine.
Since 2016, Eden Prairie detectives have participated in 38 similar operations, according to the city. Those efforts have led to more than 400 arrests and helped connect over 100 potential victims with housing, treatment programs, and job support.
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